Photo = REUTERS It was announced that up to 19 million tons of lithium may be stored in the United States. This reserve is more than enough to meet the total global demand for lithium, an essential raw material for energy transition.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Arkansas state government announced on the 21st (local time) that “a large deposit of lithium, a key raw material for electric vehicle batteries, has been discovered in an underground salt water reservoir in Arkansas.” Using water quality testing and machine learning, the researchers estimated that approximately 5 to 19 million tons of lithium may be buried in a geological region known as the ‘Smackover Formation’.
Energy and mining companies have long produced oil, gas and other natural resources from the Smackover Formation, which stretches from Texas to Florida. “These companies could extract lithium from brine waste left after extracting other forms of energy and elements,” the researchers explained. Several companies, including ExxonMobil, are already carrying out lithium projects in the region.
However, in order to secure price competitiveness in lithium extraction in the Smackover region of Arkansas, technological capabilities must be supported. According to Wood Mackenzie, an energy consulting firm, the processing technology called direct lithium extraction (DLE), which ExxonMobil and others are trying in Arkansas, is generally more expensive than more traditional mining methods. Accordingly, companies are researching to increase the economic feasibility of new methods for extracting lithium from brine.
“We have drilled an exploratory well in Arkansas and are evaluating whether we can extract lithium in a cost-competitive manner,” Dan Amman, president of ExxonMobil’s low-carbon solutions business, said in a recent interview. Chile is the leading producer of lithium extracted from brine. However, in Chile, the brine is moved separately and waiting for the liquid to evaporate before extracting various minerals, including lithium. Although this process is relatively inexpensive, it is time consuming and can impact freshwater supplies.
Most of the world’s lithium production takes place in Australia and South American countries. Most of the lithium processing stage is controlled by China. “Increasing U.S. production to replace lithium imports has implications for employment, manufacturing, and the resilience of supply chains,” said U.S. Geological Survey Director David Applegate. “This study demonstrates the value of science in addressing economically important issues.” “It is,” he said.
Federal researchers have also identified possible burials in other areas, including the Salton Sea in Southern California. Salton Sea is working with companies including Berkshire Hathaway Energy to extract lithium from hot liquid pumped through geothermal power plants from aquifers more than 4,000 feet underground.
Reporter Kim Rian knra@hankyung.com
